


Heroes

by Mirimea



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Ficlet, Light Angst, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 14:19:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5420273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirimea/pseuds/Mirimea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elder Cunningham and Elder Price grow up and towards each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I’ve written something for this fandom that’s not Price/McKinley. But I am fond of the idea of this ship too, so I’m pleased I got to write some thanks to a tumblr prompt. :)

Their flight is delayed, but Arnold is still so excited and jittery that he doesn’t even care.

On the seat next to him, Kevin Price sits with a slightly pinched expression on his face, as though he has a stomachache, but Arnold thinks he might just be missing him family already. They _had_ seemed awfully sad to see him go.

He still can’t believe that out of all people he could have gotten paired with, he had scored _Kevin Price_ as his companion, and that just feels like a sign that the coming two years are going to be _awesome_. Because he’s not sure if Kevin knows it (and Arnold wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t), but they went to the same Sunday school for years and more importantly, to the same high school.

They had even shared a few classes, but Kevin had had the tendency to sit in the front row no matter what class it was, while Arnold always picked the back row. And Kevin always seemed to like to answer the teachers’ questions while Arnold usually got flustered when called upon, and Kevin had used to be the one that got asked to show new kids around school, and of course, Kevin had been valedictorian at their graduation ceremony. And on top of that, he’s tall and unfairly good-looking, and Arnold has never been able to decide if he is impressed or intimidated by him.

But, Arnold thinks, Kevin Price is going to be his _friend_ now. It’ll be impossible for them to spend two years together without becoming friends, right? And nothing Kevin does ever seems to turn out any other way than perfect, so by default, everything Arnold does from now on is going to be amazing as well. They’ll be an _awesome_ team.

“You have a really big family!” Arnold says to break the silence that has settled between them, wincing as he realizes that his voice had come off too loud; he had made Kevin jump in his seat. “They seem nice, like they’re really gonna miss you,” he continues, lowering his voice a little.

“Uh, thanks.” Kevin glances at him, brushing at his shirt as if to smooth out wrinkles in his new, stark white uniform shirt, even though Arnold can’t see any. “Your parents seem, um, _nice_ too.”

“Oh they are,” Arnold says brightly, even as he is internally starting to panic because it is his turn to say something and he doesn’t know _what_ to say so he just ends up blurting, “They’re just sorry they ended up with such a useless son I think.” He wants to hit himself the moment the words have left his mouth, because who _says_ things like that? “But, um. I’ll be better, now! Uganda is going to be _great_.”

Kevin’s eyes widen and he shifts in his seat. “Listen… I’m sure you’re not _useless_.” There is an awkward pause. “That short film you made for your graduation project was really good, right?”

Arnold feels his spirit lift a little at the reminder of it, even as a voice inside of him can’t believe that Kevin actually _recognizes_ him. To earn some extra credits, Arnold had done a short movie project, alone, because he couldn’t find anyone else that wanted to join him. He’d gone for Claymation, and it had taken several months to complete. Their entire year had gathered together in the aula one day to watch it and it had been embarrassingly short, but people had still laughed at the right moments and applauded when it was over. He feels himself grin. “I guess it was.”

Kevin gives him a tentative smile back, and Arnold is mostly relieved that he hasn’t scared him off by now. But Kevin is still here, and Arnold is not at the back of the classroom, staring at the back of Kevin’s head anymore. No, they’re sitting side by side, and they’re even _smiling_ at each other. 

Arnold will make sure to be a good friend, because he doesn’t want to lose this.

* * *

 

It takes at least a month before Arnold finally finds some routine in their life in Uganda. After the initial craziness of everything that happened, things are kind of barely held together and Arnold is freaking out daily because people are actually looking to _him_ for answers now, and that’s altogether insane because Arnold is still looking to _Kevin_ for answers and he doesn’t understand why no one else is.

Sure, Arnold had hated him for a while. Or, well. He’d hated _himself_ for being such an embarrassment, and then he had been a bit vindictive because apparently Arnold has a horrible, selfish side that likes to see someone else fail for a change… at least, until he realizes that even people like Kevin Price can feel things like devastation, and that’s a sobering thought.

And it turns out, Kevin Price can be bitter, as well, and pretty self-absorbed. But he has never been _intentionally_ mean, Arnold thinks, and he has a really strangely nice smile when it is genuine. It’s the kind of smile that is completely earnest and immediately infectious, and Arnold can’t help but beam whenever he manages to coax that kind of smile out of his companion.

He is not intimidated by Kevin anymore, because it’s difficult to be intimidated by a guy that Arnold knows talks nonsense in his sleep every night (“I do not!”, “Oh you totally do, buddy. What’s your deal with donuts, anyway?”) and is such an utter dork for everything related to theme parks. In fact, Arnold almost feel protective of his companion at times, because he is starting to notice things, like the way Kevin discreetly moves away when people stand too close, and will stiffen whenever someone touches him, and glance around for the door when the room gets crowded.

Arnold has never really felt protective of anyone in his entire life. It’s an odd feeling, but he kind of likes it.

* * *

 

Elder McKinley asks them to host bible studies for the villagers every Wednesday, sort of like a class to teach them what they’re actually committing to by being baptized. Arnold and Kevin are a good team in the classroom because Kevin can actually stick to the facts and Arnold can make it _fun_. It’s one of the best parts of Arnold’s week, to be honest.

They walk the short way home in high spirits and Arnold finds that he can’t look away from Kevin’s face. His cheeks are flushed with the excitement of yet another successful lecture and Arnold hasn’t thought about it before, but something about the sight makes his heart flutter in his chest.

He doesn’t have time to process his thoughts, because suddenly Kevin slows down and Arnold, who has fallen a step behind, almost crashes into him.

“Are you alright?” Kevin looks at him. “You look kind of… flushed.” He pauses. “Uhm, you’re staring.”

Arnold shakes his head violently, because the pieces are finally starting to come together, and, has Arnold really had a crush on this guy for _years_? Because it kind of feels like that, when he starts to think about it.

“Nothing!” he screeches, then realizes that he’s not making any sense and resists the urge to hide his face in his hands.

Kevin blinks at him, confused. “Okay?”

“Sorry.” Arnold tries to grin, apologetically, and change the subject. “That was a good lecture, right? Great job, buddy!”

“You too,” Kevin says slowly, as though he privately thinks that Arnold might be a little insane. But that’s fair, because Arnold thinks he might actually be.

* * *

 

That night, Kevin says “failure” three times in his sleep, and then wakes up. And Arnold might have been a bit of a creep for watching him sleep, but it’s either that or staring at the wall, and at least Kevin is easy on the eyes and there are no strange spots that Arnold will convince himself might be spiders or scorpions if he stares at them for too long.

They look at each other for a moment, equally startled to find the other awake at this hour. Then, Arnold grins sympathetically. “Nightmare?”

Kevin sighs and the old bed creaks as he sits up and runs a hand through his mussed hair. “Did I talk in my sleep again?” His voice is rough with sleep, and Arnold can’t help but notice the wiry muscles of his upper arms and how nicely he fills out his garment shirt.

“I thought you said you _didn’t_ talk in your sleep,” Arnold points out, teasingly, until he realizes that the look Kevin is giving him is entirely not in the mood. “I mean, yeah. Kind of. You okay?”

Kevin stares at him blankly for a moment, then sighs again. “I got a letter from my parents.” He smiles humorlessly. “Guess who the useless son is now, huh?”

Arnold winces. He’s never realized before how painful it is to hear someone else refer to them as useless. It is especially terrible when it is Kevin who does it.

Arnold has personally kind of neglected to tell his parents anything that has happened in Uganda thus far, because they’re working on becoming an accepted part of the Mormon Church again, as soon as possible, if only to receive the same funds that they used to. Besides, they still mostly consider themselves latter day saints. They just… need to convince the mission president first. It figures that Kevin’s parents had somehow found out, though.

“You’re _not_ useless,” Arnold says forcefully and perhaps a little too loud, when he remembers that people are asleep next door.

Kevin lets out a breath that Arnold thinks had been an attempted laugh but it mostly just sounds pathetic. “I’m sorry, you know? You’re too nice to me.”

Arnold sits up. He feels like there’s a hole in his chest, seeing his companion like this. “Hey.” He pauses when he realizes that he doesn’t know what to say. Instead he struggled to get out of the bed and takes the single step that separates the two of them. He feels a stitch of guilt when he reaches out with an arm to put around Kevin’s shoulders and notices the way he stiffens at the contact, but then, Kevin relaxes into it.

Arnold sits down on the bed, awkwardly. “You’re not useless. You’re _Kevin Price_. And I’m here for you, buddy. We’re here for each other, right?”

It’s been a while since he hugged Kevin. It’s nice, even though he feels guilty for enjoying it at a time like this.

“I really did like that short film you did, you know,” Kevin mutters. “I thought it was hilarious.”

“Thanks,” Arnold says confusedly, because he had believed Kevin the first time. Maybe. He doesn’t know. “Let’s go back to sleep, alright? Things will feel better tomorrow.” He pushes at Kevin’s side until he, without protest, begins to turn in Arnold’s arms to be able to lie down again. And for a short moment, Arnold allows himself to imagine not having to let go, to actually lie down next to Kevin, and then he realizes, maybe he _can_.

They rearrange themselves carefully on the bed and Arnold waits for a protest, or words of confusion. But in the end, the only thing he hears is a quiet sigh, and that’s almost like permission, right? He carefully rests an arm over Kevin’s waist, snuggles into his back and Kevin doesn’t tense up, doesn’t say anything, so Arnold allows himself to relax, too.


End file.
